Making Your Makeup Multitask

If you feel like your daily makeup routine is costing you too much, you're not the only one. The average American woman spends about $100 per month on cosmetics and beauty products, according to a study conducted by the YWCA.

In fact, if you walk into a Sephora (LVMUY.PK), you could easily end up spending over $100 on a basic kit of makeup. So how do you maintain your daily look without dipping into your retirement fund?

"Finding products that do double duty is a smart idea," says makeup artist Kari Bauce. Here are some ideas on how to get the most for your money by making your makeup multitask.

Double Duty Foundation

If you use a liquid foundation, you have to use powder to set it -- or else risk your foundation sliding off your face as the day progresses. Avoid the extra expense on finishing powder by purchasing dual finish foundation.

Dual finish foundation feels like a cream as you apply it, but has a matte finish. You'll get all-day wear, without having to buy two separate products.

Experts recommend Dual Finish by Lancôme or Studio Fix by MAC (EL). "A good foundation and the right color is worth all the money in the world," says makeup artist Audrey DaCosta. "The other things like blush, eye shadow, and lipstick you can play around with."

Over-the-Counter Eyes

Some people recommend using a drop of wet seal with your favorite powder to automatically create colored eyeliner that can be applied with an angled brush. It turns out that buying wet seal is an unnecessary expense.

Bauce and DaCosta say that drugstore eyeliners work great. And they actually recommend drugstore mascara over expensive brands.

"I am a personal believer that drugstore mascara is perfectly fine for everyone," says Bauce. "You really have to replace mascara often and you don't want to spend all that money on something that only lasts a couple months."

DaCosta agrees. "The $10 mascara by L'Oreal is the bomb!" she says. DaCosta uses Voluminous by L'Oreal for her clients, which only costs about $5 to $8 at Walmart (WMT) or CVS (CVS).

Blush and Lips

When it comes to blush and lip color, you can actually tackle both with the same product. Our makeup experts recommended using Stila Convertible Colors, named the best cream blush of 2011 by Instyle magazine. You can use the color compact on your cheeks and lips, and spend as little as $19 on Amazon.com (AMZN) for the dual-use compact.

Bauce also says that in summer, if you use coral colors, you can even use Stila Convertible Colors as eye shadow.

Dual-use makeup can help you save money on your daily routine. But keep in mind that with certain products like eyeliner and mascara, the drugstore version is great low-cost alternative.